A SUBJECT FOR INQUIRY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10193, 21 March 1911, Page 4

A SUBJECT FOR INQUIRY.

TlieTemuka Leader, which is edited -by. Mr Jeremiah Twomey, one; time member of the • Legislative Council, is again playing the part of the candid friend. In a recent issue it drew attention to a matter which should form the subject of close public scrutiny. It appears that the Ministry used an Act of last session to serve the Labour party' at the expense of the ratepayers. In this Act a number of things were "washed up," and it consisted of 98 "clauses on over 60 printed Our legislators evidently did not trouble to read it, and Dr. Findlay, who docs not represent any constituency, managed to get it through the Council after a very brief speech.* The House had swallowed it whole, without dissecting it. But it contained one little clause which provides that if the Unionists ■of Auckland find £IOOO, the Government shall advance to £hem £6OOO at 4-J- per cent, to acquire a site and erect a Trades Hall, in which Unionists, Socialists, and any other extremists may assemble to plot against the interests of all other classes. The Leader asks whether this is a proper investment for public funds: "Is there a private firm in existence which would lend £6OOO on such a security? Then, if there is not, what does this mean? vDoes it not mean barefaced bribery and corruption to secure the votes of the Auckland workers?" Our contemporary also says: "Looking at. the whole affair, we regard it as a dirty job, deliberately intended to corrupt and bribe the workers of Auckland.- If a farmer wanted to buy a; farm worth £7OOO, and had only £IOOO, would the Government lend' him £6QPO ? They, would npt, but they: ihave.''.■•lent ;ifc ik>: th« Auck-: . latid; workers, and the reason is the farmer 'has only a few votes at the mosi, while the workers have thousands:."